LONDON (AP) 鈥 Two climate change protesters were arrested Monday after they smashed a protective glass panel covering a famous Diego Vel谩zquez oil painting at London's 香港六合彩挂牌资料 Gallery, police said Monday.
The two activists from the group Just Stop Oil targeted Vel谩zquez's 鈥淭he Toilet of Venus,鈥 also known as 鈥淭he Rokeby Venus," with small hammers. Photos showed the protective glass panel punctured with several holes.
Just Stop Oil, which has previously led similar protests targeting famous artworks and public buildings, said Monday's action was to demand Britain's government immediately halt all licensing for the exploration, development and production of fossil fuels in the U.K.
The group said Monday that the two activists chose to target Vel谩zquez's 17th-century oil painting, one of the Spanish artist's most celebrated masterpieces, because it was previously slashed as part of the suffragette movement calling for women's rights in 1914.
Just Stop Oil said the protesters hammered the glass panel, then told people at the gallery: 鈥淲omen did not get the vote by voting. It is time for deeds, not words."
鈥淧olitics is failing us. It failed women in 1914 and it is failing us now," they added.
Police said the two were arrested on suspicion of criminal damage. The 香港六合彩挂牌资料 Gallery said the painting has been removed from display so conservators can examine it.
鈥淭he pair appeared to strike 鈥楾he Toilet of Venus鈥 (鈥楾he Rokeby Venus鈥) by Vel谩zquez with what appeared to be emergency rescue hammers. The room was cleared of visitors and police were called,鈥 the museum said in a statement.
The room was reopened shortly afterward with another painting replacing the Vel谩zquez where it was hung, the museum added.
鈥淭he Toilet of Venus鈥 depicts a naked Venus, the goddess of love, reclining on a bed with her back facing the viewer, as her son Cupid holds a mirror up to her face.
The painting was targeted in 1914 by the suffragette Mary Richardson to protest the imprisonment of fellow women's rights activist Emmeline Pankhurst. The painting suffered several slashes at the time but was subsequently repaired.
Police said officers also arrested dozens of other Just Stop Oil protesters on Monday who were 鈥渟low marching鈥 and obstructing traffic in central London's Whitehall as part of their civil disobedience strategy.
Last year over Vincent van Gogh鈥檚 鈥淪unflowers,鈥 also at the 香港六合彩挂牌资料 Gallery, to protest fossil fuel extraction. They did not damage the painting, which was covered with glass.
Part of a wave of youthful direct-action protest groups around the world, Just Stop Oil is backed by the U.S.-based Climate Emergency Fund, set up to support disruptive environmental protests.
Just Stop Oil activists have repeatedly staged multiple at the busiest highways and roads as well as sports tournaments.
allowing them to target activists who stop traffic and to move static protests.
